Immortality
by Sheankelor
Summary: Vodlemort wishes for immortality and a whole soul, so he give Severus a task to complete. Can five world class Potions Masters and one Elder Shen-lung help put an end to the Dark Lord? They will try because there is no way for Severus to succeed in the task, and the Potions Masters refuse for him to die. If you add in one Headmaster and ex-Dark Lord do their chances increase?
1. Honouring Requests

AN: This tale is not beta'ed as of yet - but if you come back and see it changed, then Yen or SuNoYo might have taken a comb to it. Yen did help with the memory sequence.

Schatten, here is part 1 of the Immortality Plant's tale.

 _Honouring Requests_

Doing his best not to show his racing thoughts, Severus waited as the other Death Eaters left the meeting. It was not often that Voldemort requested him to stay behind, but when he did the orders were typically some of the most difficult to accomplish.

"You shall create and brew me a potion, Severus." Voldemort folded his hands on top of the table, his wand loosely clasped in one of them, its tip pointing at Snape.

Even if Severus harboured any foolish idea of refusing, which he was decidedly not foolish enough to do, he would have reconsidered. "What do you wish this potion to achieve, My Lord?"

"Immortality."

The smile curving the Dark Lord's lips sent a chill down Severus' back because it clashed with the glowing red eyes. Voldemort stood abruptly and signalled for Severus to follow him into the dilapidated study. Severus knew better than to delay, and when he crossed the threshold, he carefully held his face blank as he took in the mess that filled the room. Books, magazines, parchment scrolls, and tiny scraps of parchment covered every conceivable surface. Voldemort had obviously been researching something.

"This potion shall be a one time dose. A true potion of immortality not like the Philosopher Stone's attempt at it. You shall only make one draught and destroy all your notes on it." Picking up a clipping from some paper, Voldemort handed it to him. "I believe you should work around the Immortality Plant – Jiaogulan."

Severus looked at the name wondering where the Dark Lord had discovered its existence.

"You may go. I expect something by the beginning of next summer."

Severus rushed out the door, knowing it was going to one of the few times this summer he would be free of punishment.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus sank into his arm chair and dropped his head back against the seat cushion. _'How'm I supposed to create - in one year - what noone has succeeded in creating since potions were being brewed?'_ The idea of attempting to be creative – dangerously so – while students were running about and able to witness him blowing up cauldron after cauldron did not appeal to him. That reduced his time to this summer.

Opening his eyes, he stared out the window. Rain was slashing against the panes of glass, washing the grime away to mix with the oil floating on the road. Tomorrow morning the street will look washed clean. Shoving his musings aside, Severus glanced over at the old leather journal sitting on his desk. He needed to write Kasem to let him know that he would not be coming this year.

Pulling himself out of his seat, he mumbled under his breath. "No time like the present."

It only took three steps to have him at desk, and just half a second to have the journal opened. The words etched on the pages made a small smile curl his lips. The committee from the International Potions Association wished they had never put them together, but they had also never thought the diverse group could ever make it. Not one of them spoke the same language, and that was only the first barrier. Types of ingredients, brewing techniques, and cultural beliefs were also used to their advantage instead of the disadvantage they poised to other groups.

The memory of that first meeting pulled him back in time, back to the summer after the downfall of the Dark Lord the first time.

memory ˉᵕˉlane

Severus stared about the large hotel ballroom where the International Potions Association was holding its annual summer convention. The portkey to Calcutta and the convention had cost a good chunk of his saved funds but the escape from Britain was needed. The country was still reeling from the death of Voldemort and the imprisonment of the Death Eaters. The lower level Death Eaters were still being tired and the _Daily_ _Prophet_ was filled with the news, albeit on the middle pages instead of the front one.

Crossing the room, he found a small table near the back of the room where he could see everything and still be able to hear.

"You can't sit here."

Severus looked at the thick set man who spoke, doing his best to decipher his thickly accented English. "Why not?"

When the man spoke again, Severus decided that the accent was Italian. "This table is reserved for speakers. You must sit with a group of other Potions Masters." The man waved Severus to follow him while his dark eyes scanned the room. A brief smile flickered across his face when he spotted what he was looking for.

Severus followed him across the room while attempting to determine what caused the man to smile.

The Italian pulled out a chair and directed Severus to take it. "Here, sit with them. They also did not have group to join, and you would be the last one needed to round out their numbers."

Settling into the seat, Severus looked at the four other members at the table noting all four were of at least Asian descent if not Asian in origin. Nodding to them, he determined his ability to see and hear.

A tap of a hand on the table drew his attention to the man sitting across from him.

The man rested his fingers on his wand as he looked from one to the other. "Araseo?"

"Nǐ tīngdǒng ma?" It was the man to Severus' right who answered, but Severus could tell the language was different.

The man on Severus' left answered, but once again, Severus was positive they were not speaking the same language. "Khâo jai mái khrap?"

The man sitting between the first two speakers spoke up, looking at everyone as he did so. "Wakarimasen. Wakarimasu ka."

The puzzled look on all their faces assured Severus that no one understood the other. "I take it none of you speak English either."

Four sets of dark eyes looked just as blankly at him as they had done for each of the other speakers.

The first speaker held up one finger, his dark blue robes draping back across his arm, and then touched it to his lips and then his ears. He then picked up his wand, looked at each of the table mates, and cast a spell so quickly none had a chance to counter it. "Do you understand me now?"

Severus felt his eyes widen as he nodded with the others. "Can you understand me now?"

The man nodded. "I am glad the translating charm works. I have been working on it for years but never had a chance to truly test it. I am Tchai Jin-sun, from Korea."

The last man to speak stood and bowed slightly to them all. "It is nice to meet you. My name is Chiba Kenji. I am from Japan."

As he sat down the man on Severus' right raised his hands and clasped them at his chest, his pale green robe changing to a dark green as he moved. "I am Hsieh Zhu of China. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Nodding to the others, Severus introduced himself. "I am Severus Snape from Britain."

"I am Kasem from Thailand." The man on Severus' left watched as the others gave him a puzzled look. "We do not typically use surnames in Thailand, but mine is Chaidee. Please call me by Kasem."

Tchai leaned forward, pitching his voice soft enough not to carry past the edges of the table. "They knew we could not communicate. It is almost as if they intended us not to be able to do whatever they have planned for the rest of the convention."

"They shall be sorely disappointed." Chiba moved slightly, blocking the view of the people at a nearby table who were staring at them. "As long as all of us are willing to prove them wrong that is."

Hsieh pressed his lips together, frowning at the rest of the room. "It maybe because we are new? I know this is my first year here."

Severus nodded toward Hsieh as he chimed in. "Mine as well."

The rest of the table nodded. Kasem searched their faces and grinned. "I had originally thought they were grouping us based on what they thought our nationalities were until they brought Severus." He shot a worried look over at the British Master. "Or do you prefer to be called Snape?"

Severus considered the man for just a moment before deciding. "As it is your country's custom to only use first name, Severus will be fine."

"Thank you, Severus." He stopped speaking when one of the IPA's committee members walked up.

"Excuse me." The man motioned to Severus. "You should not be at this table. There is another, just over there," he pointed to a group of obvious Europeans across the room, "that has a space."

Severus narrowed his eyes before blanking out his expression. "A member from the IPA told me to sit here, and here I will stay. I refuse to be moved again."

"But... but..." The man's French accent was more prominent as he became flustered. "how can you talk to them? They will not be able to understand you?"

Severus stifled his reaction to look at Tchai. "We will work it out. We are Potions Masters after all, used to solving near impossible problems."

memory ˉᵕˉends

It was by the end of their first convention that Chiba suggested they become a permanent group. All five of them agreed. Kasem was the one who charmed the journals and sent them to everyone. Picking up his quill, Severus studied the four other languages that graced the pages. Touching his quill to the first empty line morphed them into words he could understand.

' _I'm sorry that I will not be able to meet up with everyone this year. I don't even know if I can make it to the IPA convention.'_ As soon as he finished writing, Severus moved to shut the journal, not expecting a reply until morning. He stopped as Thai words formed under his. Touching the page, he read.

' _What's happening, Severus? I'll help pay for the portkey if you need me to. I'll put you to work in the fields to pay me back like the first time we met here.'_

Severus remembered the first summer they met up before going to the IPA convention. It was his second time going and he could not afford the portkey to Thailand _and_ the convention. Kasem covered part of the cost and Severus worked most of the early mornings and late evenings in the potion ingredient fields around the Thai's house. He learned a lot about Thai potion ingredients that week. That was also when they learned about his affiliation to Voldemort. It only takes one exploding cauldron filled with a corrosive potion to have all the covered Potions Masters in the room to strip out of every splattered piece of clothing. The Dark Mark was only one of the things discussed as they cleaned up. Kenji had burn marks on his upper arms from tending a sacred fire in his family's shrine. Kasem had marks across his back that no one knew what made them – he had purposefully oblivated the knowledge from his head – Severus was pretty sure it was a whip. Zhu had a dragon tattoo covering his right shoulder. Jin-sun had scars from a potion accident that occurred when he was an apprentice across his left knee.

Picking up his quill, he started to write Kasem back when Chiba Kenji joined in the conversation.

' _You will be there, Severus. I'll chip in to cover the cost if need be. I need some British grown potion ingredients you can bring me to cover the cost. We have too much to discuss, and you promised us you would show us a new way of extracting the essence from dragonfly wings.'_

' _I can afford the trip. It is the Dark Lord I told you about – he is demanding I make an impossible potion and I have to focus on it. I do not want to detract from our planned potions, but if I am there, I know I would end up being in the way. Kenji, what ingredients do you need? If I can get them, I'll ship them to you.'_

Tchai Jin-sun's reply came fast, as if he did not wait for Severus to finish writing. _'All the better reason for you to come. We are good at solving impossible. What does he want you to brew?'_

Kenji's answer was right after Jin-sun's. _'I'll tell you once you promise to be at Kasem's.'_

Rolling his eyes, Severus wrote quickly. _'A potion to make him immortal, and it has to include Jiaogulan. Kenji, just write up the list and I'll see what I can get to you. I will not promise to be there.'_

Hsieh Zhu's distinctive handwriting flowed across the page as soon as the plant's name appeared. _'The Chinese have been attempting to make an immortality potion with that plant for thousands of years. Severus, come to Thailand and hide. We will find somewhere to keep you safe from that madman.'_

Severus considered the Chinaman's words for a moment before making a decision. _'I will not hide from him. I couldn't even if I wanted to, but I will come just to see what your people, Zhu, have done so far so I do not duplicate it. Kenji, your list.'_

' _I'm putting it together now, Severus. I am glad you are coming. Research should appease the madman.'_

The other three added their agreement to Kenji's thought. Severus was personally glad they were most likely right.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

The portkey landed him near a field Severus was intimately acquainted with. Insects and frogs were filling the twilight with noise. Once upon a time it had made him nervous, but now it made Severus relax. A quick wave of his wand transfigured his heavy robes into lighter ones. Taking in a deep richly scented breath, Severus headed towards Kasem's house.

The light spilled out from the windows and through the cracks around the door greeting Severus as he walked up the hard dirt path. A head was silhouetted in the window and then the door was jerked open.

"Severus! Come on, dinner's being served." Kasem stepped back, allowing the taller Potions Master through.

The greetings that resounded throughout the room as Severus entered were accompanied by the smell of noodles and spices. Sitting down to an authentic classic Pad Thai brought a smile to his face. No matter how the restaurants around his home tried to make Pad Thai, they never succeeded in making it like this.

After the last dish was washed and put away, Jin-sun faced Severus. "Let's see it."

Severus raised an eyebrow, inquiring what the Korean wanted to see.

"The Dark Mark. You said it changed." Jin-sun was joined by the others, each one with a burning curiosity in their face. "We need to see it."

"Need?" Severus shook his head slightly. "I don't think you need to."

Zhu folded his arms and glared at Severus while Kenji spoke. "It became darker when the madman returned, he summons you through it, and now this madman wants you to make him immortal. We would like to see it and determine if there is a way he can use it against you."

Severus searched their faces, looking for their true thoughts. Sighing slightly, he saw what he knew he would. Curiosity, of course, but it was tempered with the willingness to help. Zhu was honest about wanting him to flee the UK and the madman and the others were ready to help as well. They all honestly thought that seeing the Mark would give them some sort of insight on how to proceed. Rolling up his left sleeve, he held his forearm, displaying the black skull and snake. Four heads leaned forward, five wands were held ready just in case, and five minds were whirling about attempting to solve the mystery of the Dark Mark.

Zhu frowned and then sighed. "I need to look at it closer, Severus. Tomorrow morning would be best. There has to be a reason that the madman wants you to only brew one draught and not keep your notes. He can't think he would die if you made it wrong. It is like he thinks that he will survive enough to punish you."

Kenji's eyes glazed over as he thought. "He _has_ to have _something_ tying him to this plane. That is the only way he could have survived and came back. Whatever it is will keep him alive if the potion fails. Then he will kill Severus." Focusing on the others, his expression was extremely serious. "That is something we cannot allow to happen. We all know an immortality potion will not work, so we need to create one that will appear to as to buy Severus time to escape."

Zhu nodded. "And he will flee to one of our homes, or to one that we find for him. Either way, it will be somewhere that the madman can't find him."

Severus knew where each of their houses were, just as they knew where his was. Over the last several years they had alternated which house they met at the week before the convention. If he had to chose a house, he would pick Kenji's – the shrine had several extra rooms and he could work there to pay his way easily.

"Which means that we need to know more about the connections that he has with Severus." Jin-sun could see the acceptance in Severus' face.

"And that means we all have an early morning. Some of us will be harvesting ingredients and some of us will be researching this Mark." Kasem waved them back towards the sleeping areas. "Good night."

Shaking his head slightly, Severus allowed himself to be sent to bed.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Zhu, Kenji, and Severus crossed the fields to find a place that met everyone requirements. Zhu and Kenji wanted peaceful and full of strong energy. Severus wanted a place far from Kasem's house just in case the Dark Lord learned something of what was happening and decided to track them down.

Zhu spotted just the spot near a small stream under a stand of willows. There was even a rock to sit on. "Here. Severus, just sit on the boulder and we will get started."

Settling, Severus looked at his two friends wondering what they were going to do and what they might find.

Kenji walked the perimeter shaking a long stick with two zigzagged shaped paper streamers hanging off of its top. When he finished, he hung a series of white rectangles with kanji inscribed on them. As the last one fluttered in the light breeze, he nodded to Zhu.

Raising his wand, Zhu drew a circle in the air, making a mirror that showed ghostly reflection of Severus and ribbons streaming from him. "These are all the connection you have with others, living and dead. They are ties that bind your soul either for good or bad. They have been forged by relationships, promises, and desires. The darker the ribbon, the more harmful the connection."

Severus' eyes widened as he took in the number of dark lines. Kenji stepped next to him holding a white rectangle in his grip.

"I used the shide," he nodded towards the stick, " to purify the area to keep out any evil influences." Holding the rectangle up, he read the kanji on it before speaking. "This is an ofuda, a part of a kami resides inside. I will use it to help break the harmful connections, if you are willing."

In the mirror, Severus could see the ofuda glowing a soft white. "Will I remember the reason for the harmful connection?"

Zhu nodded. "You will, but you will no longer have the gut deep emotions that come with them."

"Allow me to decide for each one before it is destroyed. Some may need to stay." At their surprised looks, he smirked. "I do need to keep up the appearance of a Death Eater, and to do so, I need those emotions."

"I will. I cannot tell what the connections are, but you will when I touch it. If you wish me to cut it, focus on the positives the relationship had so you do not lose the positive as well as the negative." Kenji reached out and touched an old black ribbon. "This one?"

Memories of his father swamped Severus, taking his breath away. Blinking, he made a cutting gesture with his hand as he focused on the happier memories.

Kenji pressed the edge of the ofuda to the black ribbon, mumbled a nine word prayer, and pushed the paper through, cutting the ribbon in two. The cut ribbon dissolved, and Kenji moved to the next one.

Tears sprang to Severus' eyes as thoughts of Lily filled him again. His betrayal of her and her betrayal of him were so intertwined that there was no way of separating them. He almost decided to keep this ribbon, but part of his soul, the one that ached for release from the pain, caused him to make a cutting motion with his hand. He held on tight to his childhood memories as the ofuda sliced the ribbon and it disintegrated into dust.

Kenji touched a thick plait ribbon that was a black as midnight. Shuddering, Severus knew he could not let that one be destroyed. He needed his hatred of the Marauders to convince the Dark Lord that he was loyal. Shaking his head no, he saw the doubt in Kenji and Zhu's face. "It allows me to pretend to be a Death Eater. We can cut it later, if you still wish too."

Understanding flooded their expressions and Kenji moved to a dark grey one. Anger and aggravation at Dumbledore came to the front of his mind. A quick cutting motion had Kenji destroying it.

And so it went on. The negative ties to Harry Potter were destroyed; the ones for Lucius and other Death Eaters drifted away like dust; his anger at his mother faded. Eventually there was only the thick ribbon and one black cord left.

Even as Kenji's finger came close to the cord, Severus shook his head no. "It is connected to the Dark Mark. He will know if you touch it."

Zhu stepped forward and waved his wand over the line. "It is a direct link to the madman. It needs to be destroyed Severus."

Severus curled his hand into a fist and glared at the cord. "Only when I leave his service, then it can be banished as the others."

Zhu shook his head. "But … he can pull your power out of you... he can destroy your soul using it."

Severus knew his eyes widened as he blanched. "We can't. I have to be able to answer his summons. He cannot think that I am not loyal. How else can we poison him?"

Kenji pressed his lips together into a thin line. "You need a way to break it quickly, and not just the connection on you, but his connection to everyone of the ties he created to keep him alive. He cannot be allowed to destroy anyone's soul."

"And to do that you need a guardian. A dragon preferably." Zhu cancelled the mirror. "There is only one way to gain a guardian as powerful as you need. Your ancestors must give you them."

Severus snorted and looked at the two men. "I do not have an ancestral shrine."

Kenji's lips tugged up slightly to one side. "You will have to make a temporary one. You have two days to write down every ancestor's name you know. Then we will pray and hope."

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus carefully placed the joss sticks into the holders under the names of his ancestors. The others were impressed by the number of names he knew on both sides of his family, but they did not know of the years of researching to find at least one relative that would show that he was fit to be in Slytherin. He wrote the names on rectangles of white rice paper which now hung from two ropes, one for the Snape side and one for the Prince side, that draped on either side of the small wooden building that Kenji had made into a temporary shrine.

Lighting the sticks, he retreated to the centre of the room and knelt down in a ring of protective ofuda, holding a lit joss stick. Kenji, Zhu, Jin-sun, and Kasem all knelt behind him holding their own lit incense sticks surrounded by their own ring of ofuda. Kenji was not trusting that Severus' relatives would be happy about being disturbed as they were not used to being called upon.

Chanting the names of his ancestors in his head, Severus prayed they would answer his call and help him.

For the first several minutes nothing could be felt in the newly made shrine but the tension from the five men. The smoke from the joss sticks were curling slowly towards the ceiling, swirling around the names as they rose. Just as Severus decided his relatives were going to ignore him, the Snape family papers began to flutter. It only took another minute before the Prince family papers did the same.

The joss stick smoke on the Snape line speared over towards the Prince line as if it was attempting to attack them. The Prince line's smoke became a shield and then tangled with the Snape's smoke, soothing it. Severus watched as the two smokes then spiralled towards the ceiling together, and placed his request in the forefront of his mind. He was taken aback by the anger that began to swell on both sides of the shrine. The wind picked up and more smoke swirled about the room caught in the angry gusts.

Severus could feel the uncertainty and protectiveness radiating from behind him and knew his friends were just as worried as he was about what was happening. Even though the anger didn't feel as if it was directed at him, he knew quite well it could easily be released upon him.

The wind began to shake the roof, raining bits of wood down on all the potions masters. Then it vanished, leaving a feeling of resolved intent in its wake.

Raising his eyes to the ceiling, Severus watched as the drifting smoke cloud clung to a form moving through it. There were glimpses of a long tail, a bit of a beard, long antlers, claws, and tips of wings. Eventually the form left the smoke cloud and began its descent to the floor, the smoke still clinging to its scales and outlining its shape. Its front paws touched the floor, one in front of the oldest ancestors of each lines names. Its wings were fanned out, its head stretched out looking at Severus in the face while the rest of its body flowed up the wall, its tail still cloaked in the joss smoke cloud. One front paw moved forward, each of its five claws sounded on the wood individually. As the other paw moved, the dragon seemed to shrink. Another step, and the tip of its tail was now halfway down the wall, and its head was now the size of the largest cauldron Severus had ever seen. Two more steps and the smoke covered dragon curved its neck around the ofuda circle and peered at Severus once again in the face, its neck and front limbs behind him, its claws walking on the ofuda without piercing them. Its body curved and waved until its back legs were on the floor; its tail still trailing up the wall. The dragon continued to wrap around the ofuda circle until Severus became surrounded in its smoky coils, and it looked down on the man's head.

Severus gazed up into the dragon's eyes, knowing he was being judged and hoping that he would be found worthy.

"Severus Snape, child of the Prince and Snape families, bearer of their skills and powers, you have placed yourself into a difficult situation." The dragon shrank even further as it uncoiled from around the kneeling man. Eventually it was only ten feet long and was once again at Severus' eye level. Raising its right front paw, the dragon rested it over the man's heart, its five claws flexing slightly, almost piercing through the dark robes even though they appeared only to be smoke. He swished his tail towards the other four as they leaned forward as if attempting to pull Severus away from him.

Refusing to flinch or drop his eyes, Severus answered truthfully. "Yes, I have. I made a terrible mistake in my youth, and now I am paying for it."

Moving, the dragon twisted its body around Severus' again, this time it was pressed against his robes, its front claws clasping his right shoulder and arm while its belly was against his back. Dark eyes, ones that seemed to see forever, peered straight through him as the head craned about to once again be in his face.

"You request help, not for yourself, but for others. Ones who will suffer because of the man you chose to serve." The dark eyes narrowed, gazing deep into Severus' soul as if hunting the answer to an unspoken question. "But the man is an oathbreaker. He is a lord that does not keep his promises and treats his warriors cruelly and unjustly. He has tied you with bonds you did not agree to."

The wings opened and the smoke dragon flew off of Severus and settled coiled up in front of him. "You tried to make amends for the mistakes you have made, you have worked around the unknown and unjust bonds that tie you admirably, just as your ancestors have done so. The Snape family is filled with warriors, some who fought in the front lines, other who have fought behind the lines, finding information for their kings. The Prince family, descendants of Merlin's forgotten son who took the surname of Prince because he was called the Prince of Magic before he passed unremembered into history, have always been strong in magic, but their true skills lie in the ancient arts such as potion making. Merlin's line has fought against the unjust and unworthy using spells and potions for as long as they have been on this Earth."

Tilting his head slightly to the side, the dragon gave Severus a chance to absorb the knowledge he had just imparted before continuing. "I will accept the task of protecting you."

Relief and joy flooded through Severus quickly followed by suspicion. "What is the cost to me? What do you wish in return?"

The dragon laughed, one of its feet coming to rest on Severus left shoulder. "Ah, you are a wise one. You have learned from your past, this greatly heartens me." The dragon's tail moved, encircling Severus, covering the ofuda. "You shall grant me a reprieve from my boredom. I am an old dragon with no Emperors to advise." The five claws on Severus' shoulder flexed slightly. "You shall also bear the mark of a Shen-lung upon your person, and you must carry me until the task is completed."

"Carry you?" Severus almost didn't care about another mark on his body, at least this one wouldn't be cursed. The Chinese dragons were known to be benevolent.

The dragon nodded. "There are two connections that must be destroyed at the time your task is completed, and to do so I must be touching them. So, you shall carry me. Also, I am a dragon whose phoenix has flown and not returned. While I am with you, you cannot have a relationship – an intimate romantic relationship – with another. I will not agree to my phoenix being disrespected."

Severus blinked, trying to understand what was being said before a memory surfaced. While at Zhu's house he head read the Chinese dragon lore. The Imperial Dragon was paired with a Phoenix as life mates. "My phoenix has flown as well, never to return to me. I can agree to those terms."

The dragon blew out a soft sigh causing the smoke to swirl about them. "I do wish to be around children though. I miss children."

Severus felt a grin curve the edge of his lips. "I do believe I can guarantee children around at least most of the year."

"Then we have a deal, Severus Snape? I protect you and help you with your task. You shall bear the mark of a Shen-lung, carry me, refrain from intimate relationships, and bring me around children. This shall be done until this task is complete, except the mark – you shall bear it until your death."

"We do."

"Stand up, Severus Snape." The dragon waited until he was on his feet and then rose high enough to look him in the eye once again. "You shall call me Yu." He turned his head and peered at the four loyal friends. "You also have permission to call me Yu."

Severus considered Yu before nodding. "Yu, please call me Severus."

Zhu stepped forward. "I am Hsieh Zhu, I would be honoured if you would call me Zhu."

Kenji moved to stand near Zhu. "Chiba Kenji, please call me Kenji."

"I am Kasem." He gestured towards Jin-sun. "And this is Jin-sun."

Jin-sun bowed slightly. "Tchai Jin-sun, call me by whichever name you wish, Master Yu."

Yu peered at all of them as his tail enlarged, flowing around them, encircling them much as he had done just Severus earlier. "Severus, Zhu, Kenji, Kasem, and Jin-sun. Your loyalty and friendship holds you in great stead. Hold true to it and all will be accomplished."

Turning his focus solely on Severus, Yu moved, wrapping himself around the tall man until his head rested on Severus' left shoulder, his body looping around his chest, and his tail wrapping tightly around Severus' left leg. Each dark connection was clasped between a set of claws. His wings then flapped once as he blew out a cool breath. A rain cloud formed near the roof, and a light drizzle fell, settling the smoke and putting out the joss sticks. Yu vanished from sight.

Zhu stared at Severus, his eyes wide. "Severus?" He looked at the last place he saw the dragon and then back to Severus' face. "He is still there?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Yu said he would be. Yes, he is still here."

The other three walked over, closing the distance and carefully surrounding Severus. Zhu shot a wondering look at where Yu must be. "An Imperial Dragon? I know we were hoping for a dragon to guard you and help you, but an Imperial one? They only chose the most worthy … one fit to rule."

Severus gave a quick negative shake of his head. "You heard him, he said he was bored. That is the only real reason he opted to come along. Must be because there are no current Emperors in China, so he decided to go travelling."

The others just nodded, not positive what to think.


	2. Dragons and Phoenixes

_AN: First a thanks to SuNoYo who took the time to clean up chapter 1._

 _Now about the changes in characters and such – Gellert insisted he needed to be in here, Albus looked worried but accepted, Severus shrugged, and Voldemort agreed so he could have another scene. Albus and Gellert are an estranged couple here, and the tale will not show much couply things between them. Sorry if this spoils your fun._

 _Dragons and Phoenixes_

The rest of the week was spent alternating between going through the research on Immortality potions and working on the potions they were attempting to create. Severus showed them how to extract the essence from dragonfly wings and attempted to learn how to eat, sleep, and move around with a dragon constantly draped on his person. The embarrassed section of his mind was partially relieved when Yu closed his eyes during his more personal business.

Kasem watched as Severus settled into his seat carefully, not leaning back against the backrest nor crossing his legs as was his previous habit. Shifted his gaze to where he thought Yu's face was, he addressed the dragon. "Master Yu, Severus needs to move as normal or all who know him will suspect something. Is he capable of leaning back through you, of sitting on seats normally, and crossing his legs over each other without it being noticeable that you are present?"

"I am a Spiritual Dragon, a Shen-lung, he can move as if I was not here if he wished." Yu's answer seemed as quiet as a whisper but as loud as an exploding cauldron at the same time.

Zhu watched as Severus relaxed into the seat, his posture still straighter than normal, but looking far more comfortable.

Jin-sun leaned forwards, his hands resting on the table, his gaze directed at Severus' shoulder. "Can others hear you?"

Over the past several days they had become accustomed to the dragon giving helpful advice, and becoming a resource on ancient potions that had never been recorded or whose records were lost. His knowledge on techniques they had only read about came from first hand observations, and the five were soaking in as much as they possible could. They had become used to the dragon's voice correcting them, directing them, and periodically a clawed paw stopping them from doing something extremely stupid, but Jin-sun knew the moment the dragon spoke at the convention, they would become the centre of attention if anyone else could hear him.

"Only those who were touched by the joss smoke that clung to me when I first arrived can hear me, Jin-sun. Do not worry, many shall believe your group has lost their mind for I require answers to my comments." Yu laughed quietly at the humans' expressions. "You may tell them a dragon has joined you, I would enjoy watching their faces."

"Except that the madman can't learn of you – he might actually believe it." Kasem leaned back a slight frown marring his brow. "Will others be able to sense you are there?"

"Not many."

As the group smiled in relief, Severus wondered if Dumbledore would be one of those who could.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Gellert Grindelwald was bored. Then again, he has been bored for the last forty almost fifty years. The first several years sitting in Nurmengard fuming and planning on ways to get Albus back for his imprisonment. Ming was the one that talked him out of that. Having a Ti-lung join him during his travels was as surprising to him as the phoenix joining Albus. The dragon, who was only visible to him and Albus, spent many years talking him, teaching him how to balance out his yin and yang. His light and dark tendencies in simple term, but Ming's explanations and lessons were far from simple. Through those conversations he learned he needed Albus in his life, even just as a memory, as Albus was the yang that tempered his yin.

Ming flowed through the crack under the door, his brown scales standing out against the grey stones that made up his prison.

In a voice not as rusty as one would think it should be, Gellert spoke to his companion. "What's the news?"

"You're going to have visitors." Ming curled about the edge of the room, his head coming to rest on the back of Gellert's hard wooden chair. "Voldemort and two of his minions are walking up the stairwell right now."

Lids drooped over calculating blue eyes as Gellert studied the door. "Can we use this to carry out our plan for my escape?"

Ming agreed to help him leave Nurmengard the day he showed true remorse for his actions. All he wanted now was to have a wand and live outside of these stone walls. He even accepted not hunting down Albus, no matter how much he still missed the man, he would not pull his other half from the school where he taught. He and Ming planned every minute detail of his escape, including how to fool the guards into thinking he was dead.

"It would seem to be the perfect set of circumstances. Everyone would believe that Voldemort killed you."

Smiling slightly, Gellert leaned back in his rickety wooden chair, crossed is booted ankles, and waited.

The door opened quickly, as if to startle him. The edges of his lips curled into a mocking smile as the three walked into the room. Scanning over the minions quickly, he studied Voldemort while he waited on them to speak. Taking in the red eyes, noseless face and general feel about the newest Dark Lord, Gellert wanted to shake his head. _'Dark Arts gone wrong – that is what he's an example of.'_ A flash of the edge of a tattoo on the arm of one of the minions almost made him raise an eyebrow. ' _Playing with soul bonding magic as well?'_

"You are Gellert Grindelwald?" The blond minion pointed his wand at Gellert, causing Ming to shift between them.

Shifting his attention, Gellert cast a silent Legilimens and slipped into the blond's mind. Of all the spells this one was the easiest to practice during his imprisonment. The guards never knew that he was gleaning knowledge from their minds every time they opened his door. In the forefront of Malfoy's mind was his loyalty to Voldemort, and Gellert found it easy to manipulate his memories to bring up the Dark Mark he heard about, proving that it was the tattoo. Shuffling about carefully, he reviewed all that Malfoy knew of Voldemort before turning his attention to the man himself.

"Answer me!" Malfoy stepped closer as he jabbed his wand towards the old man just sitting there.

The second, heavier set Death Eater shifted to block the open door, watching Gellert not the hallway, making Gellert wonder what happened to his guards. Clasping his hands in his lap, Gellert shifted his attention back to the blond. "Of course I am, who else would be in my cell?"

"Enough of these games." Voldemort strode forward, his wand in hand. "I am Lord Voldemort, the most powerful Dark Lord of all time. I -"

Gellert interrupted him. "Really, the most powerful? How many countries do you control? Britain, most certainly, as it is your home country, but how many more? I had significant control of most of Eastern Europe before my … last fateful meeting with Dumbledore."

He watched as a slight flush crawled up the minions faces while Voldemort stiffened. He knew Voldemort had yet to control a single country.

"I am walking free, and you are imprisoned, Grindelwald," spat Voldemort.

Gellert nodded once slowly. "Yes, it took the most powerful wizard in the world to capture me; I hear a babe killed you. Your proficiency in the Dark Arts seems to be keeping you among the living, though not as well as they should have. I wonder what you did wrong."

Pointing his wand at the prisoner, Voldemort curled his lips. "I should kill you, and perhaps I will after I get the information I am after. Where is your wand?"

"My wand?" Finally standing, Gellert closed the distance between them by half. "It is in the safest place I could leave it."

Yes, Albus was the safest place for the Elder wand. He would know what it was and just what carrying it means. Gellert sometimes wondered if the Headmaster of Hogwarts still searched for the Deathly Hallows.

"Where is it!?"

Red eyes glared into his and Gellert felt the pricks of someone attempting to enter his mind. Strengthening his Occlumency shields, he raised an eyebrow, his face conveying his contempt of the attempt. "It is a safe place because its location isn't known."

"You will tell me where it is, or you will die!" Voldemort glared at him, incensed at being thwarted.

Ming curled around Gellert, ready to carry their plan out.

Seeing nothing but brown dragon scales, Gellert began to mockingly laugh at his enemy who had no idea what he was about to do.

"This is your last chance, old man, tell me!"

Gellert laughed louder.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

A true smile graced Gellert's face as the green curse flew towards him. Ming stopped it and then vanished them both away. Left on the floor was a pile of dirt and a puddle of water.

Malfoy stared at the remains. "Just like you, My Lord."

Voldemort spun about and strode out of the cell, leaving the door standing wide open.

In a small cottage deep in the Black Forest, Gellert sank onto a sofa and smiled. In a moment he would take a bath, find fresh clothes, and dig out his original wand, but for now he was going to enjoy the soft, comfortable seat. His smile broadened as Ming draped himself over a wing-backed chair.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

It was late summer before Severus made it back home. After the convention, which Yu's prediction of people thinking they were crazy came true, Kenji insisted he stay in Japan for a few weeks after which Zhu convinced him to travel to China, and Jin-sun refused to be left out so he went to Korea for several weeks. Yu enjoyed the trips and Severus collected ingredients and knowledge.

Banishing his luggage into a heap in his spare room, Severus opted against unpacking most of it as he would be heading to Hogwarts in a couple of days. He washed everything at Jin-sun's yesterday, and the research notes and potion ingredients were going with him.

The dragon head resting on his shoulder lifted as Yu peered about the house. "This is your home, Severus?"

"Yes." Severus knew his place was not magnificent, but it was his home. Jin-sun's and Kasem's places were just as rundown. Zhu's home was grander than Malfoy's manor, and Kenji's temple was just not comparable. He let Yu gaze about as he headed to the kitchen. He was in dire need of a good cup of British tea.

One cup was drank and Severus was considering the second and a good book, when he felt the summons. A dragon paw landed onto of the mark covering the entire thing, the claws pinched against the thread, almost severing it.

"What is this, Severus?"

Severus summoned his robe and mask. "That is how the Dark Lord summons his followers. It means the book and chair will have to wait. Are you ready to check out your opponent?"

Yu curled tighter against Severus. "Yes, it is time to see what we are up against."

Severus donned on his the robes and mask. With a slight twist, he Apparated away, trusting that Yu would be able to stay with him, making sure to envision him the best he could. A small crack sounded as they appeared near a graveyard.

"Yu? Are you okay?" It was not the first time Severus wished he could see his companion.

"You are worried something might have happened to me?" Yu turned his head and peered into the unseeing eyes. At the slight head nod, Yu chuckled. "No one has worried about me for centuries." He breathed out a warm gust of moist air, letting it fan across Severus' covered face and his eyes. "As you can see, Severus, I am whole."

Severus felt his eyes widen. He really could see the dragon looking at him. Not the smoke version either. Grey-blue scales flowed down his body, which Severus could now see as well as feel, a white fur surrounded his head from which two large black highly branched antlers stretched, long white tendrils trailed away from his face, and a pair of endless black eyes peering at him. "I can see you." It was whispered, but Severus knew Yu could hear him.

"I granted you the ability." Yu shifted his attention, watching the other robed figures entering the building.

Severus noticed where he was looking, and strode after them. Tension radiated through the dragon's body as he came to a stop in the inner circle. Severus could feel the muscles flexing as Yu lifted his head up and examined the room they were in as well as its occupants. His leg was freed as the dragon's tail uncoiled and formed a protective circle around him. The Death Eaters standing near him unconsciously moved, leaving more space around him than normal.

"Severus, these people..." Yu's voice trailed off as a red eyed man walked into the ballroom followed by a large snake. His whiskers flared out as the scent of the man reached him. Narrowing his eyes, he shifted so that his back claws were clasped about the connection the madman had with Severus. The rest of him flowed forwards, expanding as he crossed the distance between the inner circle and the Dark Lord.

"He smells awful, Severus. Like something past dead."

Yu's words resounded in Severus' ears, but there was no way to tell the dragon about the resurrection that occurred just over a year ago. His shoulders tightened when Yu walked over Nagini, his front claws almost impaling the snake, in his attempt to get closer. The great viper lifted her head, her tongue flickering about, sensing the air before she coiled up tight hiding in the Dark Lord's shadow.

The Dark Lord never noticed while he was conducted his meeting.

Almost wishing he couldn't see Yu now, Severus blanched as the dragon wrapped its way around the Dark Lord as much as it could with one clawed paw around Severus' bond. Even as he watched, the paw slid up the connection until it was where it joined the Dark Lord. A bereft feeling washed over Severus until he met Yu's gaze. Onxy met endless night and Severus knew Yu was still helping him.

Yu coiled about the Dark Lord until Severus could not see him nor Nagini anymore only grey blue scales. The dragon's head lifted high above the coils, claws appearing to be clutching something in the air, his jaws slightly agape, his ears up, eyes narrowed, and the tendril-like whiskers flowed back from his face as a wind picked up, swirling through the room. Grey-blue wings flared open as the dragon took off for the ceiling

Training his gaze on the now visible Voldemort, Severus could see the suspicion and uncertainty that flashed across his face before the man smoothed it away. Red eyes searched the circles, looking for the perpetrator, the one who dared to cast such a spell during one of his meetings. Severus hoped that Yu wouldn't do anything to draw attention to where he stood.

As the meeting proceeded, Severus felt more that saw a small Yu drape himself back on his shoulders and then walk down his left arm, stopping only when his head rested on top of the Dark Mark and his paws were once again wrapped around the connection. His tail wrapped around Severus' upper arm, the tip of it resting on his shoulder.

Yu didn't move or speak again until they were back in Severus' living room, and a cup of tea for both of them was served.

"He is dead. That man is only walking about because he has tied his soul to this plane. That body – it is a golem – it is made out of parts." Yu sipped his tea for a moment before looking back at Severus. "Even if I had not given my word to help you, I would remove this … creature from the world. He is the antithesis of what should be here. When the time comes, when you poison him, I will cut all his bonds, especially every one that is tying him here."

"We believe we shall have a working potion next summer." Severus sipped his tea, knowing he would have to report everything Yu found to the others later, but for now, he was going to relax.

The dragon stretched out, his upper body resting across the sofa while his lower body was still wrapped about Severus. "It does not matter if your potion appears to be one for immortality, the moment he drinks it, I will severe the bonds and he will die."

Severus felt one more burden fall off his shoulders.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus felt Yu shift as he walked through the gates of Hogwarts. The dragon stared at the pigs on the gateposts and then directed his attention to the Forbidden Forest. Shift his gaze towards that direction as well, Hagrid's hut caught Severus' attention. _'If only Hagrid could see...'_ He stopped the thought before it could finish. The image of Hagrid attempting to examine Yu was scary considering the dragon was still using him as a resting place. The half-giant had been crazy enough about the dragons used in the tournament last year, and they weren't even legendary ones.

Continuing on his way to Albus' office, Severus kept an eye on the dragon. The moving portraits and stairwells always caused a reaction. He was not disappointed, but had forgotten to think of Yu reaction to Fawkes as they entered the Headmaster's office.

Yu raised his head as high as it could go in his position, the shifting of his weight almost causing Severus to fall. As it was, Albus noticed his stumble.

"Severus, there is a phoenix here!" Yu twisted his neck until he was looking into Severus' face, blocking his view of Albus and Fawkes. The face moved closer, blocking his view of everything but the Yu. "Why is there a phoenix here?"

Ignoring the dragon, hoping Yu would accept he could not answer yet, Severus walked through the room by memory only, praying that Albus had not rearranged things.

"Ah, Severus my dear boy, how was your summer?" Albus poured a cup of tea and offered it to the Potions Master.

Severus held out a hand to accept the tea he heard Albus pour, and made it to his normal seat without incident. "It was informative."

"Voldemort didn't summon you much after the beginning of July?"

Severus wished his could see Albus' expression so he could tell if the Headmaster was as happy as his tone indicated. There was an underlying current of uncertainty laced through the tone. "I left early for the IPA convention, and then spent the rest of the summer travelling through Asia researching a potion the Dark Lord wishes me to brew. He summoned me on the day of my return."

Yu finally shifted, his attention focusing on Fawkes, who was watching him intently. While Severus reported about the meeting, Yu decided to ask the phoenix his question. "I am Yu, companion and guardian of Severus Snape. As he is too busy to answer my question, will you tell me why a phoenix is here?"

Fawkes flew across the room, landing on the mantle near Yu. "I am Fawkes, companion and guardian of Albus Dumbledore, which is why I am here. Severus did not have a guardian at the end of last school year, how did he acquire you?"

"I was requested to aid him by his ancestors, and Severus agreed to the aid. At the moment, my presence is not needed to be known by anyone in the school. Severus and I need to discuss whether there is an advantage to letting Albus know of it. Our current plan does not hinge on your companion's aid."

Fawkes nodded. "You have travelled here without your phoenix? Or is she currently residing in Severus quarters?"

Yu shook his head. "I have not seen my phoenix in three centuries. Your dragon? Where is he?"

"In Germany with his companion." Fawkes would say no more about the dragon that accompanied Grindelwald.

Yu could see the strain of loss on the phoenix as well as the resolve and pried no more. He understood it all too well.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus shut his door behind him, glad for the automatic silencing spells that keep sound in. "Try not to get in my field of view while I walk down stairs." He crossed over to his arm chair and dropped into it. "I do know them well, but a nasty spill can still happen. Also, as I can no longer see through you, can you not block people who are attempting to talk to me?"

Yu flowed out from around Severus and stretched across the floor, the connections still held between his claws. "I had forgotten that you could not see through me. I will endeavour not to do so again. Fawkes explained why he is here."

Severus made a mental note to thank the bird.

"Do you think it will be alright for the companion of a phoenix to know about me?" Yu rested his head in Severus' lap, his body going limp except his arms.

"Albus may not approve of our plan, but I do not see why he cannot know of your existence. I'll tell him later tonight, maybe after dinner."

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

A knock sounded on Severus' door. "Come in."

Albus closed the door softly behind him and crossed the room. "I was hoping we could enjoy dinner together tonight, Severus, as we are the only two here besides the house elves."

Severus stopped him as Albus moved to sit on the sofa. "Take the other chair, Albus. The sofa is currently occupied."

Albus blinked, studied the empty cushions, settled onto the chair, and gave Severus a questioning look. "What is it, Severus? I have never felt anything like this before."

"You can sense him?" It didn't truly surprise Severus, Albus was one of the strongest wizards around. At Albus' nod, he continued. "Yu is a dragon – a shen-lung to be precise."

"A dragon, Severus? One that cannot be seen? Can he be heard?"

Yu flicked his tail slightly. "No, he cannot hear me, Severus."

"Yu said that only those present when he first joined me can hear him. At the moment, no one but me can see him." Severus raised an eyebrow at Yu as he shifted about on the sofa, causing the cushions to be displaced. He had noticed early on Yu could touch any object closely associated with him, but it still surprised him to see it happen. "You might be able to touch him though, since you can sense him. Yu, would you mind if Albus attempted?"

Instead of answering, Yu raised his tail and held it within Albus' arm reach.

"Albus, if you would put your right hand out at chest height and move forward, you should encounter something." He watched as the Headmaster did as he requested. A smile curled those almost hidden lips as thin fingers brushed over dragon scales. Yu's head jerked up off the chair arm and whipped about to stare at his tail.

"Scales. I feel scales." Albus lowered his hand, and nodded towards the sofa. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Yu. Can others touch you?"

"He touched me, Severus. No one but you should be able to touch me." Yu's gaze did not leave Albus as he spoke.

"Albus is quite powerful and very skilled, Yu. The combination should explain why he can sense and touch you." Severus turned his eyes to Albus. "Yu says no other should be able to. You seem to be an exception."

Nodding slowly, Albus leaned back in his chair, pressing his hands together. "Why is Yu here?"

"He is my companion, Albus. Much like Fawkes is yours."

Yu's head whipped around and stared at Albus before looking back at Severus. "He is a phoenix's companion. I forgot that."

Severus shifted his attention to the dragon. "Yes, he is Fawkes companion. They've been together for a long as I can remember."

Albus' face settled into a soft expression, his eyes glazed over slightly as he reminisced. "Fawkes and I became companions long before you were born, Severus."

"That is why he can touch and sense me. It has nothing to do with the amount of power he has. Voldemort was unable to sense me, and they are close in power." Yu turned his head once again to study the older man.

Albus gazed at the sofa, patiently waiting until it felt like Yu was settled. "Can Yu stay in your room, or will he travel where he wishes?"

Severus returned his attention to the Headmaster. "Yu will stay with me. His presence will not be a distraction to myself, nor any of my students."

"True, he will not as he is not heard, seen, or felt." A quick nod was all that showed Albus made a decision. "We shall not inform the rest of the staff about him. Speaking of staff, the Ministry is choosing our new Defence Professor this year as no one will apply for the position."

Sighing, Severus leaned back in his chair. "Who? Do they at least know the subject?"

"Dolores Umbridge."

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. "The Undersecretary? Surely she is too busy to spend time here teaching. No, never mind, she works for Fudge, she isn't doing anything important."

Sighing, Albus nodded. "I wish she was, my boy. She's one we will have to be careful around. The Ministry is not happy with Harry or myself at the moment. She does have at least a working knowledge of the subject, but I don't know if she can teach."

Yu shifted slightly, knocking a throw pillow onto the floor. "Someone can teach students without knowing how to teach? Surely there are tests that teachers must take to become one? At least a civil service exam?"

"A Ministry appointed official will not need to pass the tests the rest of us did. As for a civil service exam, I don't know if they have to take one or not." Severus tipped his head towards Albus. "Did Umbridge take a civil service exam?"

Albus frowned slightly in thought. "I don't know if she did or not."

"It is neither here nor there, she is going to be teaching Defence for a year and will have the ability to report everything back to the Ministry." As Albus nodded, Severus sighed heavily. "Potter and yourself are going to be her main targets."

"I fear so, Severus. I fear so."

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

The Welcoming Feast had Yu craning his head about, peering from one table to the next, his eyes taking in everything. "Children, Severus. There are children everywhere!"

"Yes, there are." Severus caught the slight grin that flashed over Albus' face as he whispered his response.

Yu's head swivelled to face the doors as the first years entered following Minerva. "More children? What is happening Severus? Why are they not sitting down? Why do they not have special colours on them?"

"Watch and see." Even though his answer was quiet, Umbridge turned her head towards him and gave him a questioning look. Holding back a growl, Severus focused on the Sorting. He felt more than saw Yu turn his back on the pink witch. The dragon had voiced his dislike for her after the first staff meeting, and Severus completely agreed with Yu's feelings.

After dinner, while he was addressing his house, he came close to scolding Yu for talking over him only to remember none of the children could hear the dragon. Doing his best to block out the near constant commentary, he studied his charges. This was the group he was going to save. These were the children he was going to prevent from throwing their lives away.

"Professor Umbridge has a unique perspective to teaching. If you find yourself at a disadvantage, or not understanding the material, come see me during my office hours." He made eye contact with the prefects, letting them know that they were the ones he expected to let him know. "The hour is late, head to bed, tomorrow you start classes."

Striding out the door, he focused on the dragon.

"Snakes! So many of them in the decorations. They are so detailed, Severus." Yu moved so he could see his companion while not blocking the man's line of sight. "Why are there so many in there?"

Severus felt the corner of his lips curl up. "Because we were in the House of Slytherin, which is represented by the snake. I am positive that the other houses have their animal symbols decorating their rooms."

Turning the corner, Severus headed for his classroom to finish his last preparations for his NEWT classes tomorrow. "I ask that during my class you do not distract me. It can be very dangerous to the students if I am not focused."

Yu sighed but agreed.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

' _He did what? I thought that dragon would know how to act in a potions' lab.'_

Severus grinned at Zhu's comment as he responded. _'Yes, he did play with the smoke rising from the cauldrons. He'd make them turn into rings, curls, s-shaped lines, and other things. One time he reached out and wove himself through a group of fumes, doing his best not – and succeeding – in not touching a single tendril.'_

' _Maybe he was doing that the entire time he was at the convention and in the lab here.'_ Kasem words were shaky as if he was laughing as he wrote them.

' _Maybe, but now I can see him and it's distracting!'_

' _The best part is him telling you what's wrong with the student's potions and expecting you to convey it to them.'_ Jin-sun was referring to the conversation last night where Severus told them about the almost explosion Yu warned him about. The dragon dictated a scold he insisted Severus repeat. Severus only complied because it was far more cutting than what he could have come up with at the time.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus settled in the professor section of the stands doing his best not to be pulled to and fro by Yu as he whipped his upper body about in an attempt to see everything. When he swung about, blocking Severus' view of the pitch, the Potions Master tapped the dragon's tail to get his attention and then glared at him.

A huff of air ruffled Severus' hair, but Yu moved. Glancing up, Severus noticed the dragon was holding his head as high above Severus' that he could and was still peering around.

"The wind Severus! Feel the wind. It is singing."

Yu's voice still sounded as if it was resounding next to his ear instead of at least three above it. Instead of answering out loud – Umbridge seemed to think her permanent seat was next to him – Severus just nodded. Yu would understand.

A movement on the pitch had both Severus and Yu's attention. Slytherin and Gryffindor teams were now crowding around Rolanda Hooch. One whistle blow, and they were off.

Severus tracked his team, watching them as they fanned out across the pitch. Draco was paying attention to where Potter was, the chasers had the quaffle in hand after one of the beaters blocked a Gryffindor chaser, and the keeper was keeping a sharp eye on all the events. Turning his attention to Gryffindor's keeper, Ronald Weasley, Severus knew that the boy was nervous – he had a lot to live up to as his older siblings were all known as good players – and he hoped that his team would capitalize on that nervousness.

Rain scented air caught his attention, making him look to the sky above the Forbidden Forest. The game would never be called for rain, but maybe Umbridge would leave if it was hard enough. Dark clouds hung low over the forest and were moving their way fast.

"Severus, a storm is coming." Yu's head dropped. "Surely they are going to call the children out of the sky."

Severus shook his head slightly, hoping that Yu would understand.

"No? But it is a bad storm, a monsoon filled with lightening and thunder. For their safety, they need to land."

The wind picked up, almost tossing Malfoy and Potter about. The keepers had problems keeping their spots near the goal post.

With a side glance at Umbridge, Severus mumbled under his breath. "The game is never called. They keep playing until the captains agree to end or until the snitch, the small golden ball, is caught by a seeker, in this case Potter or Malfoy."

A low rumble was Yu's only response.

As the game progressed, the storm came closer and closer until all the players spent more time controlling their brooms than playing. Rain slashed down onto the pitch and into the stands. Umbridge deserted her spot next to Severus, who had been secretly cancelling her impervious charms in hopes she would do just that.

Thunder rolled across the sky, bouncing off the stands and reverberating loudly inside the pitch.

"Severus, I will be back." Yu stretched his wings out as he uncoiled from around his companion.

"I have survived without you for years, a minute or two should not make a difference." A dragon was blocking his vision as he finished.

"You will not die now. I will not allow it."

A paw rested on his shoulder, tips of those long claws catching in his robe, before the dragon took the sky. Severus watched as Yu steadied brooms as he soared through the pitch, only to lose sight of him in the storm cloud. Minutes later the wind picked up, but miraculously not one of the players were buffeted by it, and the storm blew away from the field.

He felt Albus' approving look as Yu settled back around him. The castle and the lake were being pelted by rain and shook by thunder, but the pitch had clear skies.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

' _Are you positive Umbridge is not working for the madman?'_ Kenji's question asked what they others were thinking.

Severus wrote back while one eye was watching Potter clean the cauldrons he assigned him. The more detentions the boy had with him, the less he could serve with her. _'I have not seen her at any of the meetings, and I truly think her pink shoes would stand out.'_

' _That's why she didn't join.'_ Zhu paused for a dramatic effect before continuing. _'The madman wouldn't agree to pink robes! She just couldn't stand black.'_

Gritting his teeth to keep the laughter in, Potter would never understand it, Severus watched as Kasem and Kenji both replied one after the other.

' _Her pink shoes would just clash with such a dour colour.'_

' _No, she knows that Severus is the one who dresses in black – maybe she is attempting to imitate him but had to pick a different colour?'_

Another quick glance showed Potter hard at work still, though the pile of first year cauldrons was greatly reduced. Turning back to the journal, he answered Kasem's comment. _'Black isn't dour! It's stately.'_

' _Dour, but needed in our profession as it hides stains well. Since you work with students, you need to wear them the most out of all of us.'_ Kenji's comment soothed the bit of hurt at being called dour by his friends, no matter how implied it was.

' _Talking of profession, what's your opinions on using Aloe vera in the madman's potion?'_ Severus question steered them back onto the original reason for the journal meeting.

When Potter finally finished his detention, Severus started test brewing.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

"His potion is the wrong colour, Severus." Yu peered back into the cauldron. "I think he added too many porcupine quills, or he didn't prepare them right."

Not replying to Yu, who wasn't expecting him to, Severus strode over to where the top half of dragon was, the bottom half was still wrapped around him. "Mr Drayton your potions is not correct." He glared down at the Ravenclaw's cauldron. "Explain what imbecilic mistake you made, and if your feeble brain can come up with a correction, try it."

Blue eyes peered into the cauldron before looking up at him. "I need something to counteract the porcupine quills?"

Severus nodded slowly. "But what was wrong with them, surely you can tell me that?"

With a shrug, Mr Drayton stared at the bubbling surface. "They were too long?"

Vanishing the potion, Severus glared at the boy. "Write me a three foot essay about the correct way to make this potion, explain what you did wrong, and ways to correct it."

Spinning about, he glared at the rest of the class who immediately set back to work.

Later that evening, Severus shut the door to his private lab, opened his journal, and began brewing the next version of the Voldemort's potion. Zhu offered a new idea and suggested Severus attempt it. As it blended well with Kasem's thoughts, he decided to brew both of them that evening.

Yu rested his head on top of Severus' while he brewed, watching every step and change, and played with the rising fumes.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Albus twitched a parchment onto the done pile. Work was never done. Most people thought being the Headmaster was an easy job – no lessons to teach, no students to work with – but they were very wrong. The work was different, but it took up just as much time if not more.

Dipping his quill into the ink pot, he glanced at the crystal sitting next to it. Multicoloured lights drifted about the inside of a faintly etched image of Hogwarts, and to most that is all it looked like. To Albus, on the other hand, it was the location of his professors, each represented by a different colour. Severus' bright green light was still in the Great Hall, causing Albus to be concerned. Severus never paused longer than ten minutes while on patrol, but he entered the Great Hall twenty minutes ago.

Setting his quill into its holder, Albus decided to go investigate.

He opened one of the doors to the Great Hall slowly, peering through, hoping to see what had caused Severus to pause so long. His eyes were greeted by the sight of his Potions Master laying on the Hufflepuff table watching the sky shown by the ceiling. Concern flooded Albus and he rushed through the door only to bounce back out, staggering to keep his footing. Drawing his wand, he prepared to blast through the invisible barrier keeping him from Severus.

"Yu said you can climb over him, he'll be sure not to move while you do so."

Severus' voice calmed him, and he held out a hand to brush the dragon. What had felt relatively small, for a dragon, before was now huge. Each individual scale was larger than his splayed hand. "How can I climb over what I cannot see?"

"If you reach up as high as you can, you can reach the top of Yu's tail. There is a spike there to pull yourself up with."

"I am an old man, my boy, climbing over invisible dragon tail's is for younger ones." A chuckle drifted his way and Albus felt the scale slide up away from his hand. Soon there was nothing to feel. Walking forward carefully, he entered the Great Hall, closing the door behind him.

He made his way to Severus making sure to feel before he stepped, dragon hide was hard. Settling on a Hufflepuff bench, he looked about the room. He could not see the dragon, but he could feel it everywhere. "Why are you in here, Severus?"

Black eyes left never left the ceiling as Severus answered. "Yu wanted somewhere to stretch out and the dungeons do not have the space for it. Here, though, there is room, and the ceiling looks like the sky."

Albus nodded slowly, his eyes straying to the ceiling, hunting out constellations playing behind drifting clouds. The moon was barely waxing, so they were more prominent. A feeling of relaxation filled him. For just this one moment, he wasn't planning, thinking, or doing anything that required him to be Headmaster Dumbledore or the Head of the Order of the Phoenix.

Some time later, Albus wasn't sure how long it was, Severus' question pulled him back to reality.

"What are you planning to do after the Dark Lord is defeated, Albus?"

A quiet sigh left him. "I do not think I will see that day personally, Severus."

Severus turned his head and glared at Albus. "If you do see it, what would you like to do?"

Chuckling, Albus laid back on the bench, turning his attention to the ceiling. "Do? I think I would like to retire somewhere warm and maybe run a book store."

"Retire? A book store?" Severus sat up and looked into the older man's face. "I figured you would be one to pass away in the Headmaster's office."

"If I survive, I will have lived through two Dark Lords – both of which I will have personally helped to neutralize." Albus stretched out as the bench under him enlarged to fit him better. "Minerva or yourself are capable of taking over the school and watching the children."

Severus shook his head. "No, once the Dark Lord is defeated, I am also retiring from here. I am going to invest into being a full-time Potions Master."

Albus smiled softly. "You should look for Yu's phoenix. No dragon should be without its phoenix."

Severus laid back down. "Yu says she is already gone."

"Ah, but phoenixes can be reborn. Watch for her, you never know when she'll reappear, Severus. He sounds like he has given up, so watch for him." Albus wondered if Fawkes would find Ming again once he died.

"If you say so, Albus. I will watch."

Albus' lips curled into a peaceful smile as the two fell silent, both watching the charmed sky – one also watching the dragon while one was just aware of it.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Gellert walked quietly through the Black Forest, listening to the animals and wind rushing through the leaves. The last several months had been of healing, not of any physical illness but mentally and emotionally. Ming was near him as always, watching over him, gauging how he reacted to sounds, sights, and other people.

He discovered while shopping how much Gellert Grindelwald was remembered by the Wizarding world causing him to change his name to Gel Hummel. Other changes occurred as well. His hair, which he had been plucking out of his head because he was bored, grew back, he gained a healthy weight, and once again felt life worth living. The only thing that would make it perfect was Albus.

Gel shook that thought out of his head. Albus was lost to him the day his sister died. Stopping suddenly, he looked in the direction of Britain. Just because he would never have Albus didn't mean he couldn't help him. He knew the Dark Arts better than most people – Ming indulged his love for them while he was trapped on the promise to work out defence measures for them – so he was eminently qualified to handle the soul curse he branded his followers with. He could even create a spell that determined if they were true followers of Voldemort in their hearts.

Turning quickly, he headed for his home. He had to tell Ming they were travelling.


	3. Changing the Timeframe

AN: I am thanking SuNoYo early, I know she will edit this later. Here is the end of this tale. Will we have a sequel? Possibly. When will it come, I don't know. Thanks also goes to Yen for helping with the very end of the tale. It was the part that started the entire tale. ^-^ Now, go enjoy.

 _Changing the Timeframe_

Standing in Diagon Alley, Gellert absorbed the feeling of the hustle and bustle of people. Not three hours ago he had flooed in from the German Ministry where no one soul recognized him as Grindelwald, just as not one here did either. _'Fifty years can do that. I wonder if Albus would recognize me?'_ That question lead him to wonder if he would recognize Albus after all this time.

Turning quickly to avoid a running child, his new purse slapped against his leg reminding him of the oath the goblin nation extracted from him half an hour ago and their promise that it insured.

 _We shall not reveal that you are alive, nor your location, but you must make a binding oath that you will not help Lord Voldemort nor knowingly do anything to hinder the economy. If you break your oath, we shall be forced to make sure the official death records are correct._

With one simple oath, Gellert had access all his vaults. They gave him the purse with a very succinct version of their deal stitched on it in the goblin's language. _Our gold stops flowing, your blood stops flowing._

Casting a quick look at Gringotts, Gellert headed off to find the shadier side of the British Wizarding World. It was there he would learn about his quarry.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

"You shall need a broom, Severus." Yu watched as the last cauldron was scrubbed and stacked.

"A broom?" Severus stretched his back the best he could with Yu wrapped around him. "Why do I need one?"

Yu's face filled his vision as the dragon answered. "I wish to go flying. It is the students' holiday, so most are not on the grounds. We can soar in the clouds and enjoy the wind."

"I don't like flying -" Severus never got a chance to finish his sentence.

"Don't like flying! It is those brooms – you must come with me! I will take you soaring and show you the wonders that are there to be had." Yu unwrapped himself from around his companion, grabbed him by the left arm – making sure to cover the mark, and proceeded to drag him out the door and onto the grounds.

"I will need a broom at least for show."

Yu let him snatch one up as they passed the school broom closet. The evening sunlight glinted off the Black Lake and a crisp chill in the air pricked at Severus eyes. It was not a time to go flying.

Yu flowed about him like smoke, and Severus watched him expand until Yu's head dwarfed him. He was a third of the height of one curved claw.

"Mount your broom, Severus, we are going flying."

Doing as ordered, Severus was soon uncomfortably sitting on the broom. He considered just flying without it, but he was not quite willing to let the staff and the students know he could. Angling the broom up, he flew into the sky, Yu right beside him.

It didn't take long for them to be amongst the clouds, the evening sunlight glinting off the edges of Yu's scales. A large paw wrapped around Severus and his broom. "Settle and relax, I am taking you flying, Severus."

Keeping hold of his broom, Severus settled onto the back claw as Yu wove through the clouds and danced with the winds. He was willing to admit to himself it was fun.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

"You want me to do what?" Severus stared at Albus in disbelief.

"Harry must learn Occlumency, Severus, and you are the best one to teach him." Albus folded his hands under his beard, his blue eyes watching the man across from him, wondering where the dragon was.

"Why does Potter need to learn an obscure Mind Art?" Severus leaned back in his seat, doing his best not to pace the room to vent his frustrations.

"Voldemort and the boy have a mental connection. Harry needs to learn to block it."

Sighing, Severus nodded and then fought the grin at Albus' astonishment from his giving in so easily. Without the anger there, it was so much easier to do what needed to be done.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Pacing about his office, Severus stared at the mound of parchment on his desk, wondering once again just how he was going to convince Potter that he was not intending to harm him while doing what would seem just like that. Learning Occlumency was hard work, harder than he had anything he had ever seen the boy do except face the Dark Lord year after year. _'And this isn't rush in and save the day stuff.'_

Moving to a small cauldron set up just so he could brew to calm his mind, he began a simple smoking potions. It had no true purpose, just billow smoke from the surface of the liquid, but it was a test in precision. One slip of the stirring rod, one ingredient added a quarter of a second early or late, and it would not work. It was this potion that allowed him to clear his mind, for when brewing it, nothing but it could be there.

The knock on his door came as he finished the last stir and the first curl of smoke rose from the surface. "Enter."

He turned around as Potter walked through his door looking nervous and a bit defiant. Gesturing to a seat, he moved to lean against his desk. "This … topic is complex, Potter. It will take diligence and focus as well as the ability to preserver when there is no sign of accomplishment."

His could tell his words, even though he spoke them softly, almost blandly, affronted Potter.

Yu peered closely at Potter. "There are too many negative connections, Severus. We need to break them, or he will never learn."

Severus raised a questioning eyebrow at the dragon, missing the puzzled the expression starting to form on Potter's face.

"I can snap the connections, but you will need to form the mirror and explain to the child what is happening. Tell him about me, but swear him to secrecy so he will not reveal the information to anyone who might tell the Dead Man."

Nodding once, Severus focused back on the boy. The confused green eyes caused a small grin to flash on his face. "Mr Potter, you know these lessons are a matter of complete secrecy." At the boy's guilty look, he continued. "Of course you would have told your two constant companions. What I am about to reveal to you shall not go past them, do I have your word?"

Potter swallowed nervously, his gaze shifting from one place to another until it landed back on Severus. "I give you my word."

"Good. I have a companion who made a suggestion which make sense. He says you are surrounded by negative connections that need to be dispelled. We can do this for you, making it easier for you to learn the skill I am to teach you. I will know nothing about what these connections are, but I cannot guarantee that my companion will not. I can guarantee that he will not spread any information that is not needed to be known."

"Your companion? I do not see any companion, ... Professor." Potter looked about the office, attempting to see into the shadows.

"Severus," Yu shifted his weight and unwrapped his tail. "I will leave you long enough to fly through the smoke rising from the cauldron so he can see me."

"Very well," Severus watched as Yu released his grip on his connections. Returning his attention to Potter he caught the wary look. "My companion is invisible to most people, Mr Potter. He is going to fly through the smoke rising out of that cauldron so that you might see him. Once he is visible to you, I will cast a spell that will show you all your connections formed from every relationship you have had. I will then touch the connection allowing you a moment to hold all the positive memories connected to that relationship, and then he will destroy the negative. You will still know why it was a negative connection, and you will have all your memories, but you will have better control of the emotions they invoke."

A gasp came from Potter, causing Severus to look over where the boy was staring. Smoke clung to Yu's head, not as well as the joss smoke, but it was very clear that it was a dragon's face. Yu slowly moved through the smoke, obviously letting it coat him so Potter could see him. Turning back to Potter, Severus cast the Soul Mirror spell that he had insisted Zhu teach him.

Yu walked across the floor, until he was next to Potter. He curled his tail around Severus' leg as the Potions Master joined them.

Severus stared at the number of black ribbons streaming off of Potter. Reaching out a hand, he rested one finger against the darkest of ribbons. "Think of any positives you wish to keep, Potter."

Tears sprang to the boy's eyes, only to be blinked away.

Yu moved until he was once again draped over Severus as he normally was, but this time one paw was out stretched resting on the back of Severus' hand. At Severus' nod, he drew a claw through the ribbon. It puffed out of existence and the boy gasped in surprise.

Severus moved to the next one and they repeated the action. As they reached the black cord extending from Potter's hand, out of the words carved into the back of his hand, Severus couldn't resist a fast glance at Yu. When the Imperial Dragon learned about the Defense Professor's detention methods, he became enraged. That very evening, Yu insisted that Severus walk near her office while on patrol. There was a student in detention, using the Blood Quill. The dragons surged off his shoulders, through the cracks around the door, and Severus was left not knowing exactly what happened. The end result though was there were no more Blood Quills, and Umbridge walked about in a permanent damp.

Focusing back on to Potter, Severus watched as that black cord vanished. As he moved to the next one, Yu prevented him from touching it.

Yu glared at the cord before turning his attention to Severus. "You cannot touch that one. The Dead Man will know. We cannot break it either, or he will know, and we're not quite ready for him to know. Tell the boy so he can understand."

"Potter, this last one is your connection to the Dark Lord. If we destroy it, then he will know. I do not know what the repercussion of that will be." Severus cancelled the mirror and looked into the overwrought expression on Potter's face. "Go, we are done for tonight. You must come to terms with all the changes before we can proceed. Tonight practice clearing your mind of everything. Ask Miss Granger for some techniques to help with this."

Stepping back to his desk, he waved his wand, opening his office door, and watched the boy walk out slowly.

"Part of the Dead Man's soul is in the boy." Yu watched the dread fill Severus' face. "I can break the connection, which will allow the soul to pass on as it should have, but its presence means that learning Occlumency will not help the boy block the man out. The Dead Man needs to be ended now."

Severus felt his resolve harden. "The version we worked on over the holidays is close enough that he might believe it can work. I will let the Dark Lord know, and then we end this."

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

 _'I can't make it there until the beginning of summer, Severus. Are you sure this can't wait until then?'_ Zhu response came quickly after Severus' note about planning to alert the Dark Lord about the testing of the potion.

 _'I can't either.'_ Kenji writing was almost illegible, as if he was writing with the wrong hand. _'Severus, please get that Order to go with you. Please!'_

 _'What are you working on, Kenji? Severus, do what Kenji said to do. Get help! I can't be there either, there is no time to get a portkey.'_ Kasem's reply was written before Severus could get his quill to the page.

 _'I will talk to Albus. Yu will not hear about this being put off, Potter is being more affected by the Dark Lord than we thought.'_

 _'More affected? I didn't know he was being affected at all. What is going on, or can you not tell his business?'_ Jin-sun hastily scribbled message appeared at the same time Kenji's answer popped up.

' _I'm trying to brew a batch of Pepper-up. There is a group of visiting British wizards who caught a could and spotted it on my list of potions. Severus, you need to make sure you have witnesses – credible witnesses – that can prove that you worked against the Dark Lord.'_

Severus grinned. He taught that potion to Kenji years ago, and the Japanese Priest has been making a fortune off of it since. It was one reason he was considering moving in with him if need be. He could brew the British style potions to pay for his keep. _'Charge them appropriately, Kenji - those are a rarity there. I will make sure there are credible witnesses. As for Potter, part of the Dark Lord's soul is lodged inside his connection to him. I agree with Yu, it_ _ **cannot**_ _remain.'_

The comments that followed that assured him his friends agreed with Yu and that he needed to have a long conversation with Albus tonight and this should be handled by the morning at the latest. They would be anxiously awaiting his update.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus knocked sharply on Albus' door, entering when the Headmaster called out. "Albus, the Order needs to be ready to move out at a moment's notice."

Minerva's head jerked around, her eyes widening, as Albus stood quickly from behind his desk. "What's happening? Where's the attack going to be?"

Flashing a slight grin at her, Severus shook his head. "We are going to attack him when he calls me this time."

"I don't know if that is wise idea, Severus. The Death Eaters still out number us." Albus slowly sank back into his chair.

Dropping into his normal seat, Severus leaned forward, his expression earnest. "The potion is ready, the one he asked me to brew last summer, or rather it is as ready as it is going to be. Yu and I will be delivering it when he summons me. Then Yu is going to break all the connections holding the Dark Lord's soul to this plane. Once that happens, and the potion fails – as it is designed to – he will be vulnerable or dead."

"Severus, you never did say what potion Voldemort wanted you to brew for him." Albus searched the black eyes, seeing only relief and happiness.

Resting against the back of his chair, Severus clasped his hands in his lap. "An Immortality Potion. Impossible to create, but over the summer my friends and I came up with a plan of creating one that would appear to make you immortal – protecting you from death for a short while – but it would eventually poison you, possible killing you. The plan was to give it to him at the beginning of summer, as he requested, but since Potter has a bit of the Dark Lord's soul stuffed in his head, Yu and I think we need to end this now. Occlumency will _not_ work against it."

Yu nodded over his head before turning his attention to Fawkes. They had plans to discuss.

Pale and trembling, Minerva shakily set her tea cup down. "A part of You-Know-Who's soul in his head? You are positive?"

"I am, Minerva. More importantly, Yu is." Severus noticed the puzzled look on her face and couldn't help but shoot a surprised look at Albus. He was positive the Headmaster had told the Deputy. "Yu is an invisible Chinese dragon that is travelling with me. As a Shen-lung, a spiritual dragon, he is capable of sensing and breaking spiritual ties."

"A dragon? Here in this school?" Minerva looked around her eyes wide. "What about the students?"

"Yu is not like the Chinese Fireball from last year, he is a benevolent, intelligent dragon. Most of the time. He is also talking to Fawkes over your head right now." Severus added that last line to warn the Transfiguration Mistress, he knew she would hate to speak ill of a being to their face.

"The ball is already in motion?" Albus frowned in thought as Severus nodded yes. "How will we know where to go when you are summoned?"

Yu answered Albus' question. "I will let Fawkes find me, and he can bring Albus, who then can tell the others where to come to."

Severus repeated the answer to Albus, but added to it. "You could place a tracking spell on me, key it to everyone who is coming, have them appear, and then I will break it. It'd save the back and forth."

"Tracking spell?" Albus pulled his wand and cast it quickly. " If it breaks, we will use Yu's suggestion. What's the place like that you normally go to?"

Severus narrowed his eyes as he pictured the manor in his head. As he described it to Albus, they began planning in earnest.

It wasn't more than an hour later Severus felt the summons.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Gellert observed the entire room, one hand near his wand, while the other was wrapped about his tankard. The last several months had been spent hunting out Death Eaters and crafting spells to sense when they were summoned through the soul curse and one to show their true loyalty. The first was relatively simple so he had been following the summons for the last couple of months. He perfected the later just last month and had cast it upon the entrances of Voldemort's lair. Each person who walked through them were affected by it. The moment he triggered the spell, their true loyalty would show up on their face. Death Eaters would have the Dark Mark, which was the only one he set, any others would be almost unnoticeable.

A reverberation, as if a gong was struck, vibrated the air around him. Doing his best not to react, Gellert watched as over half of the pub left. _'It seems as if Voldemort is calling a large meeting this time.'_ Paying his bill, he left behind the others.

"Ready, Ming?"

"Ready."

Gellert and Ming followed the summons, and Gellert disillusioned himself once he appeared, as Death Eaters were still arriving. Moving carefully, he crept close to the entrance, but stopped short of his normal spot as Ming curled before him, blocking his path.

"An Imperial Dragon!? Why is he carrying an Imperial Dragon?" Ming's words rang out in surprise, carrying across the grounds.

Gellert stared at the man that Ming was gesturing to. He could feel the dragon wrapped about the tall Death Eater. "An Emperor is here? Why would he follow that man? I thought they bowed to no one."

"He does _not_ , and I don't know." Ming's head jerked to the right, his eyes widening.

Gellert drew his wand while attempting to find the threat. Instead, his eyes also widened. Fawkes was staring at them from where he sat on a headstone out of the Death Eater's sight. Shifting his focus, he hunted to the phoenix's companion. There, crouched in the headstone's shadow, was Albus. It couldn't be anyone else. The glasses perched on the wrinkled face brought a slight smile to his, as did the outrageously coloured robes.

His breath caught and held as those blue eyes met and held his. Surely Albus couldn't see him. _'Maybe not, but he can see Ming.'_

Slipping back, he found a sheltered spot, removed his spell and waited. He knew that Albus would be there soon.

In less than a minute he was face to face with the Elder wand and sharp blue eyes searching him over from head to toe.

"Hello, Albus." He spoke calmly, hoping to keep the other from overreacting.

"Gellert." Albus slowly lowered his wand. "You are supposedly dead."

Keeping his hands lowered but visible, Gellert tipped his head slightly to the side. "The reports of Voldemort's success are slightly exaggerated. Ming helped."

Blue eyes narrowed slightly, searching his face. "Are you here to take your revenge?"

Gellert could see the hope trying to drown out the belief that he was. "If I wanted him dead, I could have finished him months ago. I am more interested in marking his followers."

One white eyebrow arched, asking an unspoken question. "They are marked with a soul curse, there is no true escape for them if they do not know how to break it. I will free those who are not loyal to him. That is why I am interested in them, and why I am marking them."

Albus stared at him for what felt like hours when in reality only seconds passed. "If I can feel Yu, you will be able to as well. He is with Severus, who is mine; do nothing that will harm him."

A sharp, swift lash of jealousy hit Gellert, causing his eyes to narrow as he stepped towards Albus. Fighting it back, he forced himself to focus. "I will leave him alone. What is your plan?"

Deciding to be straight forward, Albus answered. "Severus has created an Immortality Potion for Voldemort, as he was ordered to do. It will only work for a moment, but long enough for Yu to cut the bonds he has with others, allowing him to die. We will then capture the gathered Death Eaters. As Severus is my spy, he will not be captured with the others."

Studying the plan at all angles, Gellert frowned. "It is almost a full meeting in there. He called everyone in to witness something." At the question he could see forming on Albus' face, he explained. "I have a monitoring spell on his soul curse. It alerts me when he summons his followers and the size of the summoning." Glancing at Fawkes and Ming, he looked back at Albus. "Can we help?"

"Gellert." Albus stopped when Gellert shook his head. "What?"

"Gel Hummel, a Defence Against Dark Arts specialist, not Gellert Grindelwald – he is dead." Gellert quirked a small grin. "Ming brought me reading material during my stay at my former residence with the promise that I would create ways to defend against the things I was studying."

Albus' eyes widened. Hummel was German for bumblebee, just as Dumbledore was Old English for the same thing. Could this mean that Gel honestly changed? Pushing that thought way, he focused on what they were there for. " Come on, I will introduce you."

The two men disillusioned themselves and slipped back over to where the Order members were hiding.

Once there, they became visible again.

"Albus, who is this?" Minerva peered at the old man standing next to him.

Motioning Gel forward, Albus hoped this would work. "This is Hummel, he is a German wizard that specializes in Defense. I am glad he could make it. Now that all of us are here." He looked over the every member of the Order, making sure he had their attention. "I will explain the plan."

The group clustered together and listened carefully.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus stood in his spot inside the Inner Circle, his eyes focused on Voldemort, his mind worrying about Albus and the Order. Voldemort had called most of the Death Eaters to this meeting, Severus hoped it wasn't to make a spectacle out of him, but feared he was to be the main attraction. Yu shifted slightly, reminding Severus he wasn't alone.

"Severus, another dragon is here. A Ti-lung." Yu's voice trailed off as the dragon craned his head around, looking everywhere Severus wished he could. " It is Fawkes' dragon! He has come from Germany – we have help. Between the other dragon, Fawkes, and the Order, these others will not escape unjudged."

Severus could feel some of the tension leak out of Yu, but it filled him. Fawkes' dragon... there was only one person he could conclude was the companion of that dragon. Only one person that couldn't leave the continent and join Albus at one point in the last fifty years, and that person might not be on the Order's side. Even as Voldemort finished the opening section of the meeting – the reports from the Ministry, St. Mungo's, and other places – Severus tried to plan how to defeat Voldemort and Grindelwald, and Grindelwald was going to be harder because of the dragon companion.

"My Potions Master, come forward."

Severus strode into the centre of the curve created by the Inner Circle, his robes flaring about around him. Yes, the Inner Circle knew who the others were by this point in time, but most of the Outer Circles had no idea he was Severus Snape and he wanted them to know. They were more likely to be the witnesses called during the trials, and he wanted them to tell of what was about to take place. Focusing his complete attention on the events to come, Severus raised his eyes to the Dark Lord.

"You have sent word that you have completed the potion I ordered."

Severus shook his head slightly.

"No? You contradict me? I called this meeting for you to shine!" Voldemort gestures took in the crowd.

' _Part of this gathering are here on my invitation, not yours.'_ Shunting the thought away, Severus shook his head again. "I informed you that I believe I have a working version. Due to your requirements, I have been unable to fully test it. I cannot call it complete until I know that it is successful."

Pulling a small vial from his robe, Severus held he thick purple potion out towards Voldemort. Yu tensed around him, obviously ready to act, as the red eyes glared at him.

"Wormtail!" Voldemort's voice cracked over the crowd, calling his servant.

Severus looked about as if watching for the rat while in truth he was attempting to see the Order and figure out where the other dragon was, it felt like it was everywhere.

"The Ti-lung is wrapped about the room, its body blocking the exits. The Order and the dragon's companion are disillusioned near the back and side exits. They are ready, Severus." Yu tightened his grip around both of the cords that he was there to break, ready to end them in a moment's notice and then defend his companion.

The scampering steps of Pettigrew drew Severus' attention to the man entering the circle to kneel at the Dark Lord's feet.

"How can I help you, my lord?"

The raspy nervous voice never failed to irritate Severus, but for once that irritation was overwhelmed with worry of what Black's reaction to his former friend would be.

"He," Voldemort shifted his eyes to Severus as he gestured to Pettigrew, "will take the potion."

Severus eyes rapidly shifted between the two before settling on Voldemort. _'At least there's a contingency plan.'_ His only regret was Pettigrew avoiding trial. Stepping forward, he held the vial towards Voldemort. "I followed your orders exactly, are you sure -"

He stopped when the yew wand pointed at him. Spinning quickly on his heel, he strode over to Pettigrew and shoved the vial into the rat's hand. "You must drink it all."

Pettigrew uncorked the vial, glanced at Voldemort, and did as Severus said. Scrunching up his face at the taste, he gave a full body shudder.

"Kill him." Voldemort's order was obviously directed at Severus.

Pettigrew's eyes widened as Severus pointed his wand at his head. " _Reducto_." The curse flew towards Pettigrew, who stood there shocked, hitting him in the head with enough force it should have blown it off his shoulders. Instead, Pettigrew was knocked back, landing ungracefully on the ground but still alive.

Severus turned back to Voldemort in time to see Voldemort's wand aimed at Pettigrew and a green light hitting the former Marauder who was laughing softly to himself while looking at his hands in fascination. The brown eyes glazed over briefly only to come back to life, wide with fear, darting to and fro.

Voldemort ignored Pettigrew and focused on Severus. "Well done, Potions Master. You shall deliver me a vial tomorrow."

Yu snapped the braided black cord, cutting the negative ties to the Marauders. Studying Voldemort, he waited for just the right moment to end the last negative tie.

Severus shook his head, doing his best not to reel from the sudden release from the connection. "I cannot. I followed your orders: brew one draught, have no notes." He watched as the red eyes widened in realization and then narrow in anger.

"You remember what you brewed! Do it again!" The order cracked out, the anger in it rebounding off the walls.

Yu snapped the soul connection as Severus tipped his head in acknowledgement of the truth. "I also no longer have the ingredients to brew another dose, and cannot acquire more until this summer. Though it is possible I might not be able to then as well. Several of them were collected under very unique circumstances."

Voldemort shook in anger, his wand pointing straight at Severus. His words hissed out, boarding on Parseltongue. "Kneel before me and beg for my mercy."

Yu lifted his head high and stared down at the dead man, his wings spread wide. His companion his chosen _did not beg_.

Severus raised an eyebrow before smoothing out his expression. "I cannot kneel before you." The coils around his knee loosened allowing the blood to flow again. Yu had made sure he couldn't kneel even if he had wanted to. "See, ingredients are not the only thing that I found over the summer. I also became a companion of an Imperial Dragon, and as such, I cannot bow to anyone."

"Then die! _Avada K_ -" His words ended in a screech as his wand was snatched from his hand.

Yu slowly became visible, the wand clasped between the tips of two claws, the rest of him still wrapped about Severus. Just when Voldemort's could clearly see what was happening, he pushed the tips together, snapping the wand in half.

Screams erupted, not only from the Dark Lord, but from all the circles. The ones closest to the exists began running for them only to bounce off an unseen wall.

Gellert watched as the Emperor and his dragon faced Voldemort, the pieces of the captured wand falling gently to the floor. He became visible, wand in hand, as the last piece clattered at its owners feet. Three stunners and binding spells took out the first ones that ran into Ming. Levitating them to the side, he disillusioned them and moved into the melee. Spells, dark but not illegal, flew from his wand, taking out his opponents. It felt good to cast freely again.

Taking a moment, he finished the loyalty spell, and smiled as the man in front of him wore a skull and snake where his mask used to be. Choosing a more debilitating spell than he originally planned, the man crashed hard onto the floor. A glance about showed the Order members taking the change in stride.

His gaze caught Albus' and he let his smile broaden. He knew that Albus would understand just what happened.

Aiming his wand, he took out one of Black's attackers. The man seemed to be intent on making it to the centre of the room, where Wormtail was casting spells confidently, injuring friend and foe alike. As the man seemed to have a mission, Gellert decided to help him out.

Another series of screams erupted from the milling Death Eaters and the Order members, causing Gellert to look about. Spotting nothing, he made it to Albus' side quickly. "What happened?"

Albus' blue eyes twinkled. "Ming made his presence visible, much like Yu did." He cast a gently sleeping spell at a Death Eater who mask was still simple white cloth. "I take it, the one with the Dark Mark on their masks are the loyal ones?"

Gellert nodded. "It is actually covering their faces. Anyone that is loyal to him or his cause and has passed through these doors in the last month will have the Dark Mark covering their faces."

Albus smiled. "Can you teach me the spell? It would make trials that much simpler when they come."

"Of course. What if the Emperor, I believe you called him Severus, has the mark?"

Albus' eyes hardened for a moment, but then he shook his head. "Not likely."

"You know him better than I do." A note of jealousy slipped into his voice, but Gellert ignored the feelings and turned to continue the fight.

Albus' voice sounded next to him, soft and warm. "He is like a son to me. He turned from this nightmare and has worked hard to redeem himself from a mistake. He succeeded a long time ago, but he refuses to let it go until Voldemort is gone. He is also a professor at my school."

The words soothed Gellert's wayward emotions.

A scream pierced through the din and both Albus and Gellert could see Black and Pettigrew facing off in the cleared space near Severus, Fawkes, Ming, Yu, and Voldemort.

"You can't hurt me! I am immortal." Pettigrew laughed as Black circled him. "Snape made me so."

Sirius' held his wand loosely, refusing to give into his anger like he did that last two times he faced his ex-friend. "It was Snakeface who made him give it to you. If he made it for you, you'd be dead."

"It doesn't matter! You still can't kill me," snarled Pettigrew.

A manic gleam came to Sirius' eyes as he raised his wand. "That just means I can take out my ire on you and it won't matter – you can only feel the pain."

Incarcerous what the first spell to capture Pettigrew, holding him to one place, while Sirius proceeded vent fourteen years of frustration and anger onto the rat.

Severus considered telling Sirius that Pettigrew would die soon from the potion, but decided that the man needed this release. _'I'll tell him later if he feels guilty.'_

Blocking another spell flung from a borrowed wand, Severus stalked towards the Dark Lord.

"You are my servant! You swore to me your life years ago, Severus Snape!" Voldemort cast another killing curse, only to have it blocked by the body of Nagini.

Severus glanced at the dead snake dangling from the brown dragon's claws. The moment she had slithered over, Ming – as he learned the dragon as called - had picked her, called her an abomination, and then killed her. Fawkes, who was sitting on Ming's head, added his two bits in. The trills were not soothing to hear. Then, between the two partners, Nagini met her demise.

Focusing back on the Voldemort, Severus stopped just outside of arms reach. "I never swore my life to you. I swore you my loyalty, which you betrayed. You've been chasing after Potter this entire time because of a prophecy. One that you have not heard the entirety of. One that has already been fulfilled. You just had the audacity not to finish dying." Narrowing his eyes, he shot a swift look at the Yu before looking back at his opponent. "Or maybe the power he has that you know not is that his protectors would truly do anything to protect him, by their own freewill, not by fear or force."

Voldemort sneered as he sent a blasting hex at Ming, which Severus blocked. "You? You are protecting him out of your own freewill?"

Severus nodded slowly. "I made a promise, but I made that choice, and would do so again."

Voldemort looked at the magical creatures beside them and flung himself into the open space near Wormtail, casting the killing curse as he moved.

The green light struck the dead snake, and Yu wrapped his paw about Voldemort leg, dangling him in front of Ming. The wand he held clattered to the ground.

Two dragons, one phoenix, Severus, and scattered witches and wizards around the room stared at the dangling man.

Yu swept his tail about, curling it to support him as he lifted his other front paw from the ground. Death Eaters tumbled to the ground as it moved through the Order members. Ming shifted his back leg, grabbing a wizard about to hex Gellert. Tossing him casually into a wall, he shifted to keep a better eye on his and Fawkes' companions.

"You do not need these." Yu used a claw to slowly destroy Voldemort's connections, starting with Potter's and the other large soul ties, and ending with the small ones that tied his followers to him.

"Stop! Those are mine!" Voldemort swung back and forth, his head filling with blood, but his soul screaming at the sense of loss filling it. "Severus! How could you do this to me? You were my most loyal servant!"

Severus folded his arms, his wand in hand in case he needed to block stray curses. "I have not been your loyal servant since I delivered the prophecy. Actually, earlier than that. I followed you because it was a means to an end, an end I soon learned I did not wish to achieve. I pretended to follow you as a means to an end, one that shall be soon achieved."

Ming looked from Voldemort to Severus. "What is the Emperor's wish?"

Blinking, Severus shook his head. "I am not an emperor – Yu is with me to stave off boredom, not to promote me. As to my wish, I wish that justice be served. You three," he looked between Ming, Yu, and Fawkes, "are a capable of judging a man and deciding a worthy punishment, I leave it to you to decide what is to become of Voldemort."

Two dragons and one phoenix looked one to the other before looking at the dangling man. Yu spoke, his voice resonating throughout the room, freezing the battles. "It is decided. Tom Riddle, who is self named as Voldemort, you are an abomination, a dead man walking, an oathbreaker, an unjust lord, and one who ties his people more tightly to him than they agreed to. You should have left this mortal plane fourteen years ago, it is time that you did so."

With that, dragon claws pierced through the construct body. Voldemort's scream ended abruptly.

Dropping the body to the floor, Yu reached out and caged several of the Death Eaters in his front paws. Ming copied his actions, and his tail caught more. Severus, Gellert, and Albus were the only ones not afraid to approach the captured ones to bind them.

Shacklebolt knew it was time to summon the Aurors. Voldemort was dead and most of the Death Eaters were captured. Touching a button on his sleeve, he signalled them.

Albus touched Gellert's arm, catching the man's attention. "Aurors are coming, you might need to ..."

Shaking his head, Gellert grinned. "They will know nothing, don't worry."

Moments later the room was swarming with red uniforms and Gellert faded into the background. Ming and Yu also faded out of sight, leaving the Aurors to wonder if what they saw was real.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Severus stood in his quarters, his arms clasped behind his back, facing Yu. "The task is done and your commitment is complete. The only thing left if for me to be marked, and then you are free to go where you choose."

Yu tipped his head slightly to the side before he reached out and tugged up Severus' left sleeve. "You are already marked."

Looking at his left arm, a place on his body his eyes habitually slide away from, his eyes widened. Where the Dark Mark once resided there was a dragon, Yu, flying through clouds. On the sides of it were five claws, as if Yu was holding his arm. He turned his arm over to see if there was more, but the back was a blank as ever.

"The others who bore Voldemort's mark still have them. You, though, are free." Yu moved to the sofa, stretching out, letting his tail dangle over the arm. "You said I can go where ever I want?"

Severus tore his gaze from the dragon mark to look at the real dragon. "Your obligation to me is over, of course you can."

"Then I choose to remain here. At least until you decide to leave." Yu's face was in Severus' as he continued. "I choose you as my companion, Severus Snape. I wish to remain so."

The sense of impending loss vanished and Severus smiled. "Albus won't mind if you roam the halls, just don't disrupt the classes."

Yu smiled. "There is only one that I wish to disturb. It is time that Umbridge learned the true meaning of a dragon's ire."

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

 _Three years later ..._

Severus took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Looking one more time at the letter, he couldn't help but give into the laugh he had just attempted to ward off. Yes, Albus knew that he was living in Malaysia, but for the man to retire and move here as well. Shaking his head, he walked out of his house and headed for section of woods he collected ingredients in.

Memories of his last year at Hogwarts and the summer following it ran through his mind. Yu had succeeded in driving Umbridge paranoid. Every time she did something the dragon did not approve, she was either frozen or rained on. Once, when she had threatened to harm Potter, she felt the dragon's claws. Severus never told her how close she was to dying at that moment.

It was when he appeared at Kenji's house for their annual meet up before the IPA conference that he learned they had found him a place to live in Pahang. Kasem commented on the woods, Jin-sun mentioned the temperature, Zhu pointed out the cosy but well laid out house, and Kenji mentioned the nation's language of commerce. All of which sold him on this little house tucked deep inside of Malaysia near the forests. He was pleasantly surprised at being able to grow many of the British potion ingredients in special greenhouses that Albus helped to erect. Sprout contributed many of his starters as a house-warming present. Minerva gave him a large set of dishes – including a tea service, and Filius had charmed the house to be a comfortable temperature all year long. The broom from Hooch was propped near the door and help to gather ingredients high in the canopy – he could hang a basket off of it. The other professors had contributed things based off their specialities, things that reminded him of them and Hogwarts. They did make the house warmer.

Looking up over the tree line, he spotted Yu playing in the clouds. The dragon had been amazed the day he had flown with him without a broom. They were making their way to the new place, flying so that they could see the lay of the land. Since that day, Yu swore he was truly a dragon in human skin.

Chuckling, he tucked the flowers he just picked into a small basket; Severus knew that he needed to hurry to make it to Kuala Lumpur in time for tea.

§§§῏ᵕ῟§§§

Albus fidgeted with the window book display, his blue eyes searching the crowd that filled the narrow street. Spotting the white head weaving through the crowd as if there were not there, he smiled. He had told Severus that he wanted to retire to somewhere warm and colourful. So, when Severus moved to Malaysia, he knew he would eventually come here as well. What he had not expected was Gel to move here.

He had remained at Hogwarts to see Harry and his year safely graduated and then moved here. As he walked through the city, looking for where he wanted to stay, his steps had taken him to Petaling Street. The colours as well as the hustle and bustle had pulled him in. Soon he feet lead him to The Hive. It was notable because there was no cart or large open market filling the walkway in front of the store – only a large pollen laden bumblebee. The carts on either side seemed to lean away from the open space instead of in it. Laughing at the name of the shop, he entered, his curiosity getting the better of him. All about him were honeycomb shaped shelves and bins, each filled with sweets, and trinkets. The back of the store, hidden from view by a large shelving unit and a spell or two, was a section specifically for wizards who wished to buy potion ingredients, potions, wizarding candy, and other magical trinkets. It was when the shop's proprietor greeted him, he knew he was home.

Albus was pulled out of his thoughts as Gel strode through the door, the noise surging through only to be abruptly cut off as the door shut.

"I bought a lot of used books. There might be something worth keeping in it." Setting the box down on the counter, Gel ran a hand over Albus' arm before moving behind the counter. "Do you think your Severus is coming today?"

Albus smiled softly as he nodded. "Severus is not one to turn down a simple invitation for tea. He will be here."

Hefting the box of book, Albus took them to the back and began to sort them between ones that would move into his personal library, ones Severus would like, and ones that would end up on one of those honeycomb shelves to be sold.


End file.
